


Liminal Space

by UtmostCalamity



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Crush, Crushes, Fluff, Hinata is very scared, Hurt/Comfort, Longing, M/M, Pining, Secret Crush, Travel, Tsukishima can't admit he has feelings, Yamaguchi might be rich okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 12:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22496335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UtmostCalamity/pseuds/UtmostCalamity
Summary: Those of them that were normally early risers or that fared a bit better on little sleep were quietly talking to whoever was next to them or scrolling through their phones while they waited. Tsukishima could have put up with that. Really, he could have. Lucky as always, however, he was sandwiched between his best friend and one of the only people on the team who just did not seem to have an off-switch.OrTsukishima definitely doesn't care that Hinata is terrified, he's only helping him because he wants some peace and quiet.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 37
Kudos: 373





	Liminal Space

Though he would never admit it to anyone, Tsukishima loved airports. He experienced an oddly pleasant kind of detachment whenever he went, where nothing outside the airport mattered, but neither did anything inside. Time wasn’t real - it seemed to pass altogether too quickly or just not at all. He loved putting on his headphones and strolling through the terminals, observing other travelers and perusing the little shops littered between gates. It was different from going to a shopping mall or taking a walk through the city. Then, he had to think about what else he had to get done that day or when he was expected home. In the airport, he was free of all obligations, free to enjoy the wait. 

Except for the flight he was taking today, of course. 

Today, as per Daichi’s orders, he was confined to an uncomfortable seat at his gate. The whole Karasuno volleyball club, sans their coach and advisor, was parked at the end of the terminal, waiting for their obscenely early flight. Most of his teammates were slumped quietly around the gate’s waiting areas, clutching at hot coffees and looking for all the world like poorly reanimated corpses. Those of them that were normally early risers or that fared a bit better on little sleep were quietly talking to whoever was next to them or scrolling through their phones while they waited. 

Tsukishima could have put up with that. Really, he could have. Lucky as always, however, he was sandwiched between his best friend and one of the only people on the team who just did not seem to have an off-switch. 

“So your family’s summer home is really right on the beach?” Hinata chirped, leaning around Tsukishima to talk to Yamaguchi. His tone was too bright and sunny, grating on Tsukishima’s nerves. And his traitor of a best friend was doing nothing to assuage the situation, carrying on a conversation with Hinata like they were the only two people in the room. 

“Can you two just shut up already?” he hissed, pushing uncomfortably on his glasses as he pinched his brow. Hinata was hovering ever closer to him as he chattered away with Yamaguchi, so that Tsukishima could almost feel the heat radiating off him. 

“Sorry, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi chuckled, his nose scrunching up in amusement as Tsukishima shot him a glare. 

“Yeah, sorry, TsukkI!” Hinata said, “I’m just so excited for our trip!” 

“Don’t call me that,” Tsukishima said, scowling at the little ginger next to him, “Don’t you have someone else you can go bother?” 

Hinata’s lips twisted down into a pout, making Tsukishima’s stomach do a little flip he couldn’t explain and only serving to irritate him further.

“No, actually,” he said, “Everyone else is either sleeping or pretty much as grumpy as you right now, and since I have to sit next to you on the plane anyway you might as well get used to it.” 

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at the shorter boy, noticing a shift in his tone. His leg was bouncing, enough to shake Tsukishima’s seat a bit, and he was fidgeting more than usual while twisting his fingers. His cheeks were pale, and his shoulders drawn a little tight. He didn’t look too different from how he normally did before a game, when his nerves were running high and his stomach was notoriously unsettled. 

“If you’re going to be sick, you’d better go get it over with now,” Tsukishima jabbed, “I’m not dealing with that on the plane.” 

Hinata, affronted, opened his mouth to retaliate. Before anything could come out, however, Daichi clapped his hands to get the teams attention. 

“Alright everyone, we should be getting ready to board soon! Make sure you have your passes out, we don’t want to inconvenience our gate attendant. This is also your last warning to sit in the row you were assigned to! You can switch seats with the person next to you, but do  _ not  _ move other than that! I expect all of you to be on your absolute best behavior.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes at his captain’s speech, annoyed at being reminded for what felt like the thousandth time that he wasn’t allowed to switch seats to sit by Yamaguchi. That, in addition to being on a smaller plane with only two seats on either side of the aisle, meant he actually had to sit next to Hinata the whole time, without even the hope of a stranger between them as a buffer. 

“Now would also be a good time to go to the bathroom,” Suga chimed in, “And be quick about it! Wouldn’t want to be left behind!” 

A low grumble beside him caught Kei’s attention. Turning toward the noise, he saw Hinata clutching at his stomach, face ghostly white. “Please watch my stuff,” the smaller boy gasped, haphazardly shoving his bag a little closer to Tsukihima as he launched himself out of his seat in the direction of the bathroom further down the terminal. 

Tsukishima let out a long-suffering sigh as Yamaguchi tried to stifle his laughter. Truly, he didn’t know how he was going to survive this flight. 

He didn’t see Hinata again until the team had already lined up for boarding. His color was back, a bright flush on his cheeks as he gasped for air after racing back toward the gate. 

“Thanks for hanging on to my bag!” He said, reaching out to take the handle. Though he sounded cheery enough, Tsukishima noticed a slight tremble in his fingers as he took hold of his luggage. 

“Are you feeling any better?” He asked, slipping his hand safely into his pocket after almost brushing fingers with the smaller boy. He made sure to keep his tone a little condescending. After all, he wouldn’t want Hinata to mistakenly think Tsukishima was concerned with anything more than not becoming a human barf bag. 

Hinata’s brows furrowed, but beyond that he showed no sign of irritation. “I feel just fine, thanks,” he grumbled, uncharacteristically terse. Tsukishima raised a brow in surprise. Past experience around a sick-with-nerves Hinata taught Tsukishima that a little patronizing could still rile him up, and occasionally distract him enough to make him feel better. If that wasn’t working, Hinata must be feeling even more off than he looked. 

Tsukishima pursed his lips, turned around, and did his best not to think about it. 

Hinata, on the other hand, seemed to be doing his very best to not let Tsukishima forget him. 

By the time they’d reached the front of the line to have their passes scanned, his hands were shaking so much he dropped his ticket under Tsukishima’s feet. As they were walking down the jetway, he bumped into Tsukishima’s back because he didn’t notice the line stop. Though they were directly surrounded by all their teammates, Tsukishima didn’t want to raise a disturbance in public so he just quietly fumed and did his best to ignore all of Hinata’s anxious blundering. 

Once he was finally on board the plane, Tsukishima hurried back to his row and placed his bag overhead. Hinata, following close behind, lifted his bag easily enough to stow it away, but managed to catch a wheel on the corner of Tsukishima’s bag. Too short to see what was happening and already obviously frazzled, no amount of finagling on his part could fix the problem. 

As much as Tsukishima would normally love to watch Hinata struggle, he could tell the ginger’s anxiety was mounting to a fever pitch and he didn’t want to hold up the rest of the passengers any more than they already were. In an act purely borne of self-preservation, Tsukishima shifted his own bag a little further to the side with one hand and grabbed Hinata’s bag with the other, sliding them both comfortably next to each other in the bin with one graceful motion. 

“Thanks,” Hinata squeaked, cheeks bright red with what was probably a very uncomfortable mix of embarrassment and unease. 

Tsukishima just huffed, then stepped to the side so Hinata could slide into their row and take the window seat. 

“Oh, uh, didn’t you want the window seat?” Hinata asked, his voice higher in pitch than he had heard it all day. “You got it originally anyway, and I wouldn’t want to take the cool views from you!” 

Tsukishima had been hoping to sit on the aisle so he could have a little more room for his long legs, but he wasn’t about to continue holding up traffic to have a fight with Hinata that he admittedly should have thought about having earlier. So, instead of insisting that Hinata just take the damned window seat, Tsukishima slipped into their row without a word. 

As he worked on settling in and getting comfortable for the flight by putting his headphones on and pulling up his hood, Tsukishima tried with all his might not to pay any attention to what Hinata was doing. He just wanted to focus on getting to sleep as fast as possible so he didn’t have to deal with his most annoying teammate. However, Hinata had just been acting so  _ weird  _ all morning that Tsukishima couldn’t help but steal a glance out of the corner of his eye. 

The little guy was still a mess. He struggled for longer than a teenager should to pull his seatbelt up over his lap, repeatedly getting it stuck on the armrests. He likewise scrabbled at the locking mechanism, his hands shaking so much he failed to click the halves into place multiple times. He continued to ceaselessly fidget, seeming unable to get comfortable at all. His eyes remained glued to the door at the front of the plane. Once the door was closed and the plane began its taxi away from the gate though, Hinata went completely still. 

_ Thank God,  _ Tsukishima thought, assuming whatever had been working Hinata into a fit was behind them now.  _ Maybe I’ll actually get some sleep after all.  _

He settled a little further down in his seat, getting as comfortable as he could given that he ended up in the window seat. He propped his elbow on the armrest so he could rest his chin on his hand and watch out the window as the plane headed for the runway. He had always found takeoff a little exciting, thrill fluttering in his stomach like so many butterflies as the engines roared and the pavement dropped out from underneath the wheels. 

As the plane picked up speed, however, Tsukishima found himself casting another glance toward Hinata rather than the rapidly shrinking buildings. 

His knuckles were white from grabbing onto the armrests with all his strength. His eyes were screwed shut so tightly his cheeks and eyebrows were practically touching. He was clenching his jaw so fiercely that a little dent appeared beneath his ear. 

Tsukishima’s heart rate spiked. He had never seen Hinata so terrified, and he didn’t like it one bit. 

He immediately pulled his headphones off and yanked back his hood, leaning over toward his teammate. “Hinata, what’s wrong?” he asked, putting a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder to get his attention. 

“Nothing!” Hinata yelped, “Why would you think-”

As Hinata tried to deny his obvious panic, the plane tilted into a deep bank to get onto its course. Tsukishima felt his stomach dip into the turn, and Hinata immediately clutched his hands over his chest. His shoulders slumped as he curled in on himself, and he started breathing heavily. Tsukishima found himself really hoping that Hinata had left all of the contents of his stomach in the airport bathroom, and a slightly more unwelcome twinge of worry at seeing the smaller boy so afraid. 

“Okay okay okay okay!” Hinata panted, “I’m really, really afraid of flying, okay? I thought I could do it if I didn’t think about it but I’m thinking about it now and I don’t think I can do it.”

Well. If Tsukishima was going to survive this flight he was going to have to find a way to help Hinata calm down. Definitely for no other reason it would be really annoying to have to listen to him panic the entire way. He was absolutely just looking out for his own interests. 

“Sometimes,” Tsukishima started, clearing his throat, “Sometimes, on longer flights, I have trouble relaxing or getting comfortable enough to sleep. So, I always make sure to pack sleeping pills.” 

Though his eyes remained closed, Hinata seemed to be listening to what Tsukishima had to say. He would almost swear he saw Hinata’s shoulders relax a little as he talked. 

“Anyway, if you think it would help, I could give you some?” 

Muscles still incredibly tight, Hinata managed a small nod. 

As Tsukishima bent over to reach into his smaller bag stowed under the seat, he explained that he would normally take two pills. “You’re so small though, I’m not sure if you should take that much? Maybe just one would be better for someone your size.”

Hinata’s eyes finally opened, and he seized at Tsukishima’s wrist. “Please give me two, Tsukki. Please, please, please give me two.” He was absolutely frantic, voice airy with the force of his desperation. 

Tsukishima definitely was not flustered by Hinata begging and using his nickname. Even so, he figured he may as well let it slide given the circumstances. Without a word, he handed over the full dose, watching as Hinata popped them into his mouth. He was so worked up that he spilled a bit of water down his front when he grabbed a drink to wash the pills down.

“How long do they normally take to work?” Hinata choked, spluttering a little after swallowing his water too quickly. 

Tsukishima could only shrug. “I’m not sure,” he admitted, “I guess it usually takes me about fifteen minutes to fall asleep once I’ve taken them?” He gave Hinata a once over, taking in the bouncing of his leg, the way his hands shook as he stowed his water bottle away. “Then again, I’m not usually quite so… jittery. You should probably try to relax a little to help the process along.” 

“I thought you were supposed to be smart, Tsukki,” Hinata laughed dryly, his breath leaving him in an awkward and forced wheeze. “How exactly do you think I’m supposed to relax?”

Well, Tsukishima was not about to spend the next several hours dealing with the virtually palpable tension emanating from Hinata. He didn’t need the stress in his life. So naturally, he decided it would be best to help speed along the effects of the sleeping pills the best way he knew how. 

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Tsukishima shifted forward so he could more easily peel his sweatshirt off over his head. “Here,” he said, offering it to Hinata, “It’ll be easier to fall asleep if you’re warm.”

“But won’t you be-”

“Just take it.” 

Hinata reluctantly did as he was told. Because he refused to unbuckle, he struggled to slip the hoodie on in a way that didn’t necessitate him flailing his arms. Purely because it was so annoying to watch someone his age have so much trouble putting on a stupid sweatshirt, Tsukishima reached out and tugged hard on the bottom. Hinata’s head popped out of the collar, blinking his eyes like a turtle coming out of hibernation too early.

Tsukishima’s face definitely did not heat up at the sight of Hinata’s smaller frame swimming inside his sweatshirt. He didn’t pay any mind to the way the sleeves hung well past Hinata’s hands, the tousled mess of his hair, or the sinfully sweet color rising on Hinata’s cheeks. 

“This should also make it easier to relax,” Tsukishima said matter-of-factly, placing his beloved headphones over Hinata’s ears. He switched on the noise-cancelling feature, then his most soothing playlist. For good measure, he pulled his hood up over Hinata’s head to help block out what little light was coming in through the plane windows so early in the morning. 

With an already-warmed sweatshirt engulfing him and headphones to block out most of the noise from the plane, Hinata looked like he was doing a lot better. His trembling was dying down, and his eyes were starting to look a bit heavy. Good. Maybe Tsukishima would finally be able to rest. 

But not yet, it seemed.

Though he had relaxed significantly, Hinata was still fidgeting a bit in his seat and wringing his hands together. His gaze was calculated in its wandering, as though he was doing his best to look at anything or anyone other than the tall blond beside him. Well, that didn’t bother Tsukishima at all. He preferred it that way, actually. But it would bother him if Hinata didn’t just sit still and fall asleep soon.

“Do you need anything else?” Tsukishima asked, leaning in close so Hinata would be able to hear him without having to take the headphones off. 

Hinata locked his gaze on the floor and drew his hands closer to his chest once more. He muttered something under his breath, low enough that Tsukishima couldn’t hear it over the noise from the engines. 

“Speak up, idiot,” he said. His words were the same as usual, but curiously he found they didn’t have the same bite to them. Whatever.

“I said… Can I please hold your hand?” Hinata repeated. His voice was a squeaky whisper, and his whole face was flushing a pleasant rosy color with the toll of asking such an embarrassing question. 

Tsukishima wasn’t sure how to respond. He didn’t, actually. Just continued to look at Hinata, his mouth hanging open a little. 

“Sorry, I know it’s stupid!” Hinata said, curling in on himself. “I shouldn’t have asked! I’m just used to holding my little sister’s hand when something scary is happening, that’s all. Forget about it!”

Hinata looked ready to pass out in his distress, which admittedly is what Tsukishima had been wanting all along. So, Tsukishima caught himself off guard when he let his hand fall open in front of Hinata. An invitation. 

Hinata looked up at Tsukishima through his lashes, his warm eyes searching his face in confusion. 

“It’s fine,” Tsukishima said bluntly. “I don’t mind. If it will help you sleep.” 

Hinata nodded jerkily, then gently settled his hand on top of Tsukishima’s, as though any quick movements might startle Tsukishima back into his senses enough to jerk his hand away. Which he definitely should have done. Instead, he wrapped his hand around Hinata’s much smaller one. It was a little cold, probably from Hinata being so stressed out, and so tiny. Tsukishima let their arms settle between them, refusing to acknowledge how right it looked. 

Just like that, all the tension seeped out of Hinata’s body. Tsukishima could feel it leaving him in waves. Exhausted from being so anxious for so long, Hinata’s eyes began to droop. His head lowered to his chest as he began to doze off, then jerked back up, as though he was fighting the medicine that was working so hard to pull him under. 

“Idiot,” Tsukishima said, this time too softly for Hinata to hear through the headphones. He reached across with his free hand and tugged a little on the hood pulled over Hinata’s bright locks so that the smaller boy’s head fell against Tsukishima’s shoulder. 

Hinata nuzzled into Tsukishima’s arm ever so slightly, sending his heart into a frenzy, and then immediately knocked out. Finally. 

Now that he was asleep at last, and therefore no longer Tsukishima’s problem, he could theoretically go ahead and prop him up in his own seat. Then Tsukishima could get comfortable and maybe get some sleep too. But then, there was always the risk that that would just wake Hinata right back up, and Tsukishima would have to start over trying to get him to fall back asleep. And that would be incredibly irritating. Better not to risk it. 

Instead, Tsukishima just shifted a little further down in his seat so he could rest a little more comfortably against the back of his chair. He ignored the comfortable weight of Hinata’s head on his arm and the pleasant tingling in his fingers. As he let his eyes slip closed and his guard slip down, he noticed the warm, almost spicy smell of Hinata’s shampoo. It was nice.

~☁~☁~☁~

A few hours later, Tsukishima woke up to the gratingly obnoxious and raucous laughter of Tanaka and Noya. His eyes were dry from being on the plane for so long, and his throat felt gravelly with sleep. He grunted a little and lifted his head, only to see Yamaguchi leaning over his seat with a manic grin as he held up his phone to take pictures. Though it was a little difficult with how groggy he was, Tsukishima gave all of them the most scathing glare he could muster. He made no move to wake the sleeping boy cuddled into his side, nor did he dare let go of his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I meant to have this posted on Sunday, but I kind of hated the version I had then... So I scrapped and re-wrote it, and I think I'm much happier with the results. Please let me know what you think! I love to hear from you all c: 
> 
> Feel free to reach out to me on [Tumblr](https://utmostcalamity.tumblr.com/)! If you have any suggestions for what I should write next... I'm listening c:
> 
> <3, Calamity


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